Yall already know how I feel about slim women, so I want to take this time to recognize one of the baddest slim women in the game for a remarkable accomplishment. Jessica White for her 7th time being in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. That's the most ever, more than any other model to ever be featured in the magazine's signature series. Check out this awesome interview w/ Jessica White. THE top African American MODEL in the game.
What was your reaction to getting into the Swimsuit Issue? I was 18-years-old and I started screaming. My agent called and said Sports Illustrated had confirmed me. The very first time I saw Diane Smith I was 14 years old and she was excited about putting me in the magazine and then she asked me a very interesting question. She asked me how old I was. I said that I was 14, but I had a body to die for, to be honest with you and I developed at a very quick age. And she said, 'Oh, my goodness, you're only 14?!' She called my agent and said I love this girl and she's perfect for us but she's only 14 so tell her to grow up and when she's 18 we'll give her a call and that is exactly what she did. She remembered and she called me when I was 18, and that was the beginning of my long stretch with Sports Illustrated. It's still special and distinctly unique each time I get the call. To be honest with you, being in Sports Illustrated made me famous. Once that happened I started to break some barriers. They've used African-American girls but no woman of color has been in the magazine for as long as I have. I learned so much more about my body and I really started to perfect my skills as a model working with Sports Illustrated.
Happiness is... I don't believe in happiness. Happiness is what's happening around you. Happiness comes from what happens around you. In life, not everything that happens to you is going to be great or something you necessarily want. I'm a Christian and as long as I'm waking up and praying and have a positive attitude, that gives me joy. God gives me joy. I believe in joy and joy is something that only God can give you but happiness is what's happening around you and that's temporary.
What makes you feel sexy? I feel sexy when I get my hair done and when I'm home by myself and lighting candles after I get out of the bathtub. I put on lingerie and relax. I don't do those things for men, I do them for myself and I think that's what we as women have to do. We have to love ourselves first. I honestly wear lingerie around the house for myself and I get out of bathtub and lotion up and I get turned on just by smelling myself.
Who is your dream guy? My dad was a dream guy. Maybe I'm biased because he was my dad, but I had a great example of what a man is supposed to be and what a man is supposed to do. My dad was the epitome of a real man. He took care of his wife and he took care of his daughter and he was a provider whether he was severely sick or not. He got up and worked and provided for his family and he had a fear of God, and he was a man who loved God. My father was so knowledgeable. I would come home from school and my father would be playing Martin Luther King's albums. He was so smart and so wise. He had this big study with all these books from philosophers and inspirational speakers. My father was a preacher and he was knowledgeable of all things. He didn't have a high school diploma but my father home schooled himself. He could stand in front of Barack Obama and teach him a few things. He was so intelligent, and his name is Preston White, and he's my ideal man.
Do real guys have a shot? Definitely, I actually have a crush on a regular, normal guy at the moment. What attracts me to this guy is the fact that he's successful in his own right and he's not on TV, and he doesn't have to be and doesn't want to be. He is very powerful and smart and young. He's only 29 years old. I'm going out on a limb even talking about this. We're not dating it's just some guy that I sit back and admire and I'm completely, completely attracted to him, and he knows who he is, too.
If you had to play matchmaker for a day, what celebrities would you pair up? I would have to say myself and James Franco. I think that would be a nice.
What meal do you miss from home? This is kind of country, but lima beans and fried chicken. If my mom makes that I'll eat it. She makes it the best.
Every girl has her dating checklist. What are your top three deal breakers when dating? I don't like it when a guy is overly confident, conceited, pretentious, talks about himself way too much and is boastful. I don't like a guy who is too boastful and arrogant. That's a huge turnoff for me. I'm a very humble person and I think that's the most important thing. The most attractive thing in the world is someone who is confident and successful but really humble.
What is your most memorable first? The New York Post did a story on me wrote I was the first African-American model to have two beauty contracts. I never thought I would be the first to do anything in my life, and at that moment, I sat back and thought that I just broke a barrier, I made history. Another young girl can look at me and say I want to be just like Jessica White. I never thought I could do it. I came from the ghetto and trust me you never think you're going to be the first to accomplish anything, and I was the first person to do something. Not only that, but I had agents and people tell me that it could never happen and it did. I cried and I began to thank God for that moment. I prayed that prayer to God a long time ago and he answered it when I was ready.
The world's hottest athlete is... Hands down, LeBron James. He's young and I do think he's physically attractive. I've met him and he's a big guy. He's very athletic and he's like an entertainer, he gets on the court and he becomes this bigger-than-life person. To watch kids and grown men get excited about this guy when he steps on the court is amazing. I'm a huge fan.
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Xilla - Gossip & Entertainment Editor
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